The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Friday called for the resignation of Vice Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit, accusing her of making remarks they described as openly casteist during a recent podcast appearance.
In a statement, the student body said comments made by the vice chancellor in a 52-minute interview with The Sunday Guardian, released on February 16, were unacceptable and warranted her stepping down. The union also announced plans for a nationwide protest day to press for her resignation.
The row stems from her criticism of the UGC’s Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, which were notified in January to address discrimination in universities, including caste-based bias. The Supreme Court stayed these regulations later that month, noting they could have far-reaching implications and risk deepening social divisions.
During the podcast, Pandit questioned the need for the regulations, suggesting they were unnecessary and irrational. She was also quoted as arguing that progress could not come from what she framed as a politics of victimhood, and that policies centred on such an approach were short-term fixes, Maktoob Media reported.
The students’ union said it was deeply disturbed by what it described as exclusionary and caste-prejudiced remarks made in the context of student politics, university rules and social justice measures. According to JNUSU, the comments reflected entrenched caste hierarchies and weakened efforts to confront structural discrimination in higher education. It appealed to student groups across campuses to observe a national day of protest on February 21.
JNUSU also objected to Pandit’s comments expressing pride in her links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Rashtra Sevika Samiti. In the interview, she was quoted as saying that her association with the organisations had shaped her worldview, fostered cultural pride and an appreciation of diversity, and that she believed their work did not involve caste discrimination. The union countered that such views signalled ideological bias incompatible with leading a public university.
The interview drew sharp reactions from academics, activists and political leaders, many of whom accused the vice chancellor of legitimising caste prejudice. A banner also appeared on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus addressing her and invoking the institution’s legacy of dissent.
In the same interview, Pandit defended the administration’s decision to rusticate five student leaders accused of vandalising surveillance equipment at the university’s Ambedkar Library, saying they had been booked under laws dealing with damage to public property and warning that similar acts outside campus could attract jail terms.
Responding to the controversy, Pandit denied that her remarks were casteist.
“I did not mean that,” she told PTI, adding that her comments were directed at what she described as “woke interpretations of history” and debates around permanent victimhood.
“I am a Bahujan myself; I come from an OBC background,” she said, asserting that excerpts from the podcast had been taken out of context.
Pandit also said criticism of the UGC equity regulations stemmed from concerns about inadequate consultation and due diligence rather than opposition to social justice measures.